A new expert panel, headed by Australia’s Chief Scientist Cathy Foley, has been established to monitor the country’s methane levels as part of efforts to reduce emissions.
The Climate Change Authority recommended its creation in reviewing the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme.
The report, released in late 2023, made 25 recommendations for the scheme, which is the national framework for reporting greenhouse gas emissions. The federal government agreed to 24 of them.
“The emissions and energy data needs of both the government and the public are growing,” the report said. “Enhancing the accessibility and transparency of the data would provide many benefits.”
It said that while the emissions reporting scheme was working well, it needed changes to ensure its suitability for the future.
The taskforce’s job is to ensure that climate change data is accurate and consider any new approaches to measurement.
Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen said its work would be critical to Australia’s efforts to reduce emissions.
“The Climate Change Authority has found Australia’s emissions reporting scheme is performing well and supporting Australia’s net-zero transformation delivery,” he said.
“Methane is among the world’s most powerful greenhouse gases. It is essential that our measurement approaches continue to improve, based on sound science and expert analysis.”
Bowen said the work would help Australia reach its emissions reduction targets.
“Technologies provide additional opportunities for increased accuracy and integrity consistent with Paris Agreement emission reporting rules,” he said.
“By listening to the expert advice, we are ensuring Australia remains a world leader in emission estimation, which is crucial to delivering emissions reductions as well as unlocking our potential as a renewable energy superpower.”
Methane is of particular concern because it is very effective at trapping heat. In fact, over a 20-year period, it causes about 85 times the climate damage of carbon dioxide, according to the Climate Council.
Australia One of The Highest Producers of Methane
Due to its extensive fossil fuel mining and agriculture sectors, Australia produces four to five times as much methane as would be expected based on its population. In 2023, the country produced almost four million tonnes of methane.As a result, Australia causes more methane pollution globally than many larger developed economies, including France, Germany, the UK, and Canada.
The Climate Council of Australia believes the figure could be much worse and that coal and gas corporations may be under-reporting the methane they release by as much as 60 percent.
Australia has a net 2030 emissions target of a 43 percent reduction below 2005 levels.
“Three years ago, a 43 percent reduction ... would have required greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced by 32 percent by 2030. Now, with revised land use sequestration projections, greenhouse gas emissions will only need to be reduced by 24 percent ... creating an illusion of progress, while the atmosphere suffers.”
It rates the country’s performance overall as “inadequate.”
Forestry and grassland sequester carbon, while carbon losses occur on existing cropland and natural land (for example, grassland) that is converted to cropland or settlement. Thus, changing the relative proportions of these uses is one way to reduce emissions.
Despite the change to sequestration, Australia’s total emissions are projected to fall from 465 Mt in 2023 to 312 Mt by 2030.
Still, some sectors, notably agriculture, fail to achieve any significant reduction over that period, remaining at around 80 Mt.
